High Priestess
by Laryna6
Summary: Because visions just aren't enough. IsisIsis shojoai.
1. Visionary

Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-gi-oh. You can tell by the way this didn't happen in it.

A companion to Dragon Lady and Black Magic Woman. I needed something to flesh out my update during the first weekend of NaNoWriMo and I had an inspiration.

DL was written because pairing either of them with either Seto or Seth annoys me, BMW because I like Anzu but pair Yugi/Yami, and this because it sort of stemmed from those two, because looking at it that way it's obvious. I need to do something Seth/Seto at some point. I like that pairing.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

The Torque had forseen it. But the Item could not predict what would occur when the other items were involved. She had to guess that the Puzzle's power of unity would bring the Pharaoh to his reborn other self, and allow them to become one.

Though the matter of them becoming one had not been something she'd predicted.

Her own 'reincarnation' was fascinating in the same way as the Pharaoh's. When she had been complete, looking at only half of her (the wishy-washy half, not the half whose determination had raised her to High Priestess of Isis, Goddess of Magic and Rebirth, among other things), had produced a slight feeling of annoyance.

Why didn't the girl stand up to her father? What spell cast by the Items could prevent the future she could have prevented by standing by her brother?

But visions weren't the reality, she learned through centuries watching over the Tombkeepers, choosing one on occasion to show visions. But so few were worthy of the Items, so few were ones she could lend its and her power to to change their ways, so they grew darker and darker in the dark.

Lying there on an alter for millennia, a spectator only of the world around her, only half a living spirit, had taught her to value what she had seen. To yearn for it, for her. The other half of her soul, a light amidst the endless darkness of these depths.

She'd lost Mahado, she'd lost Karim, one she'd yearned for, one she hadn't valued. So few had survived…

And then she'd died, and that which remained in the Torque had lost even the hope and light that dwelled within her soul.

There was little in her memories and the bleak visions she was shown.

Small wonder that she turned to more pleasant sights.

Strange white-gold skin, tan as the sands by birth but paled by life in darkness so that it almost seemed to glow with its own light.

An extra child, a girl not valued who loved without reservation the one she lived in the shadow of, one who scorned the responsibility that she held almost paramount.

As loyal to the Pharaoh as herself, without even having seen his divine presence once. A pure soul, a loyal heart.

Her clothes were thick to withstand the chill of the catacombs. Isis wondered what the girl who bore her own name as well as her own soul would look like in the transparent royal linens she should wear, if she were honored as the royal priestess she was.

The girl who bore her own face. But it looked so much more beautiful.

In front of a bronze mirror each morning, inspecting what the slave girls had done to her appearance, lapis and kohl and other artifice (she held it in contempt, as one who valued the truth she saw in her visions), she had seen she was beautiful. Seen it in the eyes of those around her.

But her other self with the white-gold skin was more beautiful than her, even pale as a ghost in the realm of the ghosts.

She wondered what she would look like on the surface. A child of light, beloved of light, kissed by the sun… what shade that skin would turn, how those eyes would gleam at a new discovery.

She watched her on the surface, amid the light, over and over, on the one trip she would take without the Item's intervention.

Worry. Fear, that should not cloud the eyes of an innocent. Fear of her father finding out, punishing her, punishing Rishid, punishing Malik.

Her other self even shared her knack for predictions. Isis could tell from how the vision distorted that was when the Items would take a hand. That was when she would be able to be in touch with her otherself. Show her visions, guide her. See her in the light, even if she would not be able to walk with her.

She would only be a vision to her.

Even that would be a gift from the gods. She prayed to Isis and the others often, to fill the time. When she wasn't watching every instant of her other self's revealed life, over and over.

It was a long three millennia.

She wondered what the girl would look like as a woman. Even now she showed signs of the same beauty, her own beauty, though Isis knew few would be able to tell them apart.

She would always be able to.

And then she took up the Torque, that fateful day. To serve the Pharaoh, and save her brother.

And Isis found she could not use the Torque to show her visions of herself inside the Torque. The Item had no sway over the Items, after all.

But her other self saw vision after vision of her, teasing through the past to find clues, vital information to help her brother and herself.

And, of course, she needed to see how to work the Torque. So of course she would use it to watch Isis, it's second owner, being taught how to use it.

And she was a dutiful and studious child, and watched it over and over again.

And of course she needed to learn of the Pharaoh and his court.

But the scenes she came back to, almost as often as the vital ones (some of which Isis wasn't quite sure had happened… her memory was so blurred…), were those of Isis.

Which made Isis smile, in the Item, and gladly show her light more visions.

Of the one like herself, a High Priestess in transparent royal linen.

Her light was beautiful when her cheeks glowed like the dawn.

She grew more beautiful day by day as Ra showed her his favor.

Isis watched Isis become a woman and wished that once, just once, she could speak to her. Reassure her that the future was not set when the Items were involved (somehow she never discovered that…), tell her that her quest to serve the Pharaoh was worth it, tell her of her past self, things she would not see in visions…

Touch her. Because even the Torque's visions weren't enough.


	2. Sibyl

Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-gi-oh. You can tell by the way this is fanfic and not manga or anime.

YGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGOYGO

Isis breathed a sigh of relief as the security cameras showed her brother's madness taking his body off the blimp. That was not her brother! She had known there would be some way to save him… even though the Torque had shown doom for them all.

But now that future had been proven false, and she had to rejoice, even though now the Torque was dead in her hands and she did not know what the future would bring at all.

She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

What she truly missed were the visions of the past. The fragments of the Pharaoh, as though something blocked those visions were unclear, and perhaps not as helpful as she had thought…

She wanted to know more about the Torque. Was there something in the Priestess' lessons she had missed?

She should be honest with herself. She wanted to see the Priestess. The one with her face and her name.

Looking back, to find the Pharaoh, to find anything that would explain how the Tombkeepers had come about, to find anything that would help, she had been startled to see… herself.

She'd lingered, fascinated, and was amazed to see this one bore the Torque as well.

So she'd watched, to learn about the Torque, or so she'd told herself, and for some reason these visions had come easier than others.

And she'd wanted to see the extent of the resemblance. That was the only reason she'd watched her bathe that… those times. It didn't make much difference, she wore thin royal linen in any case. So different from the thick clothing they had wore to guard against the chill of the catacombs.

Was this her past life, this Shadow Mage, this holy woman her dark self?

She'd been a little afraid, but realized how foolish that was. The priestess was nothing like her brother's abomination, a thing born of madness not a true shadow guardian.

If this one would manifest, she would have someone to look after her. To tell her things. To help her win back her brother. Isis couldn't fight fate, but maybe the other Isis could.

She'd talked to the Torque, but given up. She'd always been a practical child, never did anything unless there was some reason. She'd been dutiful, Malik had played…

She missed her brother. She wished someone, anyone, would come in here. She was alone with the empty shells here. She wished she had a friend.

She shuffled through her deck. At least the Shadow Monsters cared for her.

…what was this card? And why had the Torque started glowing? She tried to summon a vision of the Priestess.

Elsewhere, Yami paused as the Puzzle glowed around Yugi's body's neck.

"What's wrong, other me?" Yugi asked, puzzled.

"I think the Torque is reacting to something."

"Is it the Rod?" Yugi was worried. Isis was a friend.

And the Puzzle's power was unity and friendship.

In the Rod, Set laughed.

And Isis' hand that reached to the Torque around her neck was covered by another hand. Her eyes flew open, startled. What if Malik had come back on board and used the Rod to conceal himself from the cameras!

…those weren't Malik's eyes.

She saw those eyes in the mirror. Or in the mirror of the past.

Her other self smiled, then leaned forward and kissed her.

Mmmph! The sound escaped her as she blushed. She opened her mouth a little nervously.

Didn't taste like her. Tasted like… she wasn't sure. Nice, though.

The old royalty had had concubines… she blushed. Her other self wasn't a virgin, she knew.

Those visions had really come a little too easily.

Her other self pulled back to smile at her. _You're as quick as you looked._

Isis blushed. _You were more modest in the visions._

The Priestess sighed. _I'm afraid you got all the modesty. I got all the nastiness necessary to rise to the top as a woman, even one of such shadow powers and bloodline._

_You are my dark self…_ there was no madness in those eyes, like those of the Pharaoh. Only a tiny hint of danger, but danger not to her, that drew her in.

She'd always had to strive. To protect Malik, to lead the tribe… she hadn't had anyone to turn to.

Now she did.

The Priestess was very reliable, she knew. Worked hard, obeyed the Pharaoh, had strong magic… a better leader for the tribe than her.

Someone she could trust, someone she could lean on, someone she could listen to.

She'd always been jealous of Malik having Rishid. She'd seen him first after all. But she'd yielded, as Malik was the one who was going to have to lead the tribe… and now she led it, all alone, even though she was a woman, and some were wondering if she would go mad as well…

And most would count it madness, to see a double of herself, to have visions, to be becoming hot at the presence of that double, to have sometimes touched herself after those visions.

_Yes, I am your dark self_. Understanding in those eyes, kindness as she'd seen the Priestess show to subordinates, to those in mourning…

The Priestess stroked her hair. _You won't have to mourn for your brother. I will not Shadow Game him, though even his saner half deserves it._

_Can he be saved?_ Isis pleaded.

The Priestess smiled. _Of course. The Pharaoh is a God, after all._

Isis touched the Torque. _Can you show me?_

The Priestess sighed and shook her head. _The Torque cannot predict the actions of other Items, and the Pharaoh holds the Puzzle._

…_so I thought he was doomed all these years…_

_With no need, yes. And it could not show you this because it involved two Items, the Torque and the Pharaoh's Puzzle. We must give thanks to the Pharaoh._

Isis reached up to touch her lips, still tingling. Yes, she certainly did need to give thank to the Pharaoh. Her brother's salvation, and hers as well.

The Priestess smiled and fingered the Torque around her neck. _I think this an adequate dowry…_

Dowry meant marriage meant… Well. The will of the gods. And of her own heart.

_Shall we go to your room? _The Priestess suggested warmly.


End file.
